Stbaw



W. J. EISENHARDT.

STRAW DISPENSER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. no. 1916.

1 1 95,45 1 Patented Aug. 22, 1916.

container and conveyed from place to place,,

- shaped interiorly that the carrier can be reman]; snaresraannr canon.

WILLIAM J. EISENHARDT, 0F BALTTMORE, MARYLAND.

STBAW-DISPENSER.

, Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 22, 1%16.

Application filed March 10, 1916. Serial No. 83,355.

ing device especially designed for use at soda water fountains and in like places, one of the objects of the invention being -to combine withthe straw container which keeps the straws normally protected from insects, dust, etc., a carrier whereby all of the straws can be removed bodily from the until one or a numberof persons have been supplied with the straws, after which the said carrier can be inserted into the con- .tainer, the entire operation of removing the straws and replacing them being eflected without danger of the straws dropping out of the carrier or becoming otherwise displaced relative thereto.

A further object is to utilize a carrier which will hold the straws spread apart so that any one of them can be readily grasped and removed'without necessarily touching the remaining straws.

Another object is to employ a holder so moved therefrom or inserted'thereinto without undesirable friction such as would soon tend to mar the parts of the dispensing device. i

A further object is to provide a straw dispensing device which is compact, durable and attractive and from which the straws can be removed without necessarily lifting the carrier bodily from the container.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the inven .tion.

In the accom anying drawings the preferred form of t e invention has been shown. In said drawings :Figure l is a vertical section through the device, the carrier and straws being shown housed therein. Fig. l

2 is a section on line A-B Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a side elevation of the carrier removed,

from the container and showing the held straws extended outwardly. Fig. 4 is a vertlcal section through the carrier and showmg one of the straws in position therein. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the carrier, its stem being shown in section and a single straw being illustrated in osition.

Referring to the gures by characters of reference 1 designates a jar-like container preferably formed of glass and having a heavy enlarged base 2 which acts as a weight to reduce danger of the device tilting over. This container has its upper end preferably flared as shownat 3 and formed within the bottom portion of the container is a socket or recess 4 substantially equal in diameter to the external diameter of the carrier hereinafter described. An annular ledge 5 extends from the recess 4 to the adjacent wall 6 which wall. in turn has its inner surface flared outwardly as at 7 to merge into the inner surface of the thin portion 8 of the wall. gThis thin portion of the wall extends upwardly and mer es as at 9 into a thickened portion 10 whicli extends to the flared end 3. The internal diameter of the container at the thickened portion 10 of the wall is designed to be greater than that at the thickened portion 6 and slightly greater than the greatest diameter of the carrier.

The carrier to be used in connection with the container preferably consists of a cup 11 which may be made of aluminum or other desired metal and is gradually tapered toward its lower end, the external diameter'of said lower end being slightly less than the diameter of the socket or recess 4. The upper end of the cup may be provided with a bead 12 adapted to overhang the flared portion 7 of the container. Secured to the center of the bottom of the cup is a stem 13 projecting upwardly-and securedclose it when the bottom of the cup 11 isresting in the recess 4.

The straws to be dispensed are placed in the carrier 11 and said carrier is then lowered into the container until the bottom; thereof rests within the recess 4, whereupon-- the cap .14; will rest upon and close the" flared end of the container, these upper end portions being spread apart so that any one of them can be grasped without necessarily contacting with the other straws. ever, should it be desired to bodily remove all of the straws so that they can be passed about from one person to another, the carrier can be lifted completely from the container, whereupon the straws will be sup ported along outwardly diverging lines as shown in Fig. 3. By reason of the curvature of the cup 11 and the disposition of the stem 13, the opposed portions of the wall engaged by a straw will tend to press thestraw in the direction indicated by the arrows'in Fig. 5, with the result that each straw will be bound against the stem 13 and accidental displacement of the straws will thus be prevented. After the straws have the straws in the cup in upwardly extended been removed from the cup while they are held in the position shown 'in Fig. 3, the said cup can be reinserted into the container, the flared open end of the container operating to gather the upper ends of the straws togetherso that they will assume substantially upright positions in the container after the cup has been brought to its position within the recess 4.

What is claimed is 1. A straw dispensing device including a container, a straw carrying cup removably mounted in the container, the wall of the cup constituting means for supporting Howthe cup being normally positioned in the recess, said cap constituting a closure for the container when the cup is seated in the recess.

3. A straw dispenser including a cup, a stem extending from the center thereof, a

cap carried by the stem, the wall of the cup and the stem cooperating to hold straws in the cup and along upwardly diverging lines, a container for the reception of the cup and stem, said cup and stem being removable from the container, the cap constituting a constituting a closure for the container when the cup is seated within the container,'said container having an enlarged base constituting a weight, there being a recess in the base for the reception of the cup, the internal diameter of the container being increased at intermediate points to reduce friction during the relative movementof the cup and container. a

5. A straw dispensing device including a container, a straw holder removably mount: ed within'the container, a stem, and a cap carried by the stem and constituting a closure for the container when the straw holder is seated in the container, sa d straw holder having its wall of suflicient height to sup port the straws along upwardly diverging lines when the holder is removed from the container.

6. A straw dispensing device including a container, a straw holder removably mounted in the container, and a stem, the wall of said straw holder being of sufficient height to support the straws along upwardly d1- verging lines when the holder 1s removed from the container.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' WILLIAM J. EISENHARDT.

Witnesses:

IVY E. SIMPSON, v PHILOMENA A ROCKELLI. 

